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Author Topic: Ask the Reviewer  (Read 1083 times)

Novac

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Ask the Reviewer
« on: June 12, 2009, 19:49:22 »
In Syracuse and parts west, we have wonderful reviewer Sapience Trek. ST is willing to answer questions you might have.

Do you have a question about the cache review process, or guidelines that geocaching.com follows? You can always email Sapience Trek directly, but if you think a public discussion might be worthwhile feel free to post it here and ST will try to check in every so often.

Dislaimer: Remember that Sapience Trek only speaks as a volunteer for geocaching.com and not the other listing sites.

Thanks in advance to Sapience Trek. All your time volunteering is much appreciated!
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Novac

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Re: Ask the Reviewer
« Reply #1 on: June 12, 2009, 19:55:43 »
OK, here are a few questions I have...

The DEC just posted a revised set of guidelines for their managed land, and it specifically discusses geocaching as an allowed practice. This is good news for caches in the Camillus unique area, but does this have any impact at all on the WMAs? Or is that not even in the DEC's area?

If there's a questionable cache and the guidelines aren't clear, what do you do? Do you just decide on your own, or do you ask Groundspeak or other reviewers? Is there a place where the various reviewers discuss different things together, or are you generally autonomous?
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ScouterDuck

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Re: Ask the Reviewer
« Reply #2 on: June 13, 2009, 07:50:29 »
I'm likewise wondering about WMAs.  I had a pair in the Lakeview WMA, and they were approved and stood for a year and a half.  When I later went to put one in Dexter Marsh, it was rejected.  Having just learned of the rules, I removed the one in Dexter Marsh and also pulled the two at Lakeview.

However, there are TONS of older caches still on WMAs.  It seems the rule was not applied retro-actively, and not all hiders took voluntary action as I did.  What will happen now?

As said before, thanks for taking the time on this forum.
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sapiencetrek

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Re: Ask the Reviewer
« Reply #3 on: June 13, 2009, 16:04:19 »
Quote from: Novac on June 12, 2009, 19:55:43
The DEC just posted a revised set of guidelines for their managed land, and it specifically discusses geocaching as an allowed practice. This is good news for caches in the Camillus unique area, but does this have any impact at all on the WMAs? Or is that not even in the DEC's area?

I am no expert in how the DEC manages their different properties.  I do know that the WMA has different people overseeing the lands than that of state forests.   We have for years published caches on DEC lands with the exception of WMA.  As far as I know right now, that hasn't changed.   I am trying to find this out, as I would love to see the WMA lands opened up.

Quote
If there's a questionable cache and the guidelines aren't clear, what do you do? Do you just decide on your own, or do you ask Groundspeak or other reviewers? Is there a place where the various reviewers discuss different things together, or are you generally autonomous?

There are reviewer forums where we can bring caches to in order to get other opinions and/or guidance from Groundspeak.
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sapiencetrek

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Re: Ask the Reviewer
« Reply #4 on: June 13, 2009, 16:07:14 »
Quote from: ScouterDuck on June 13, 2009, 07:50:29
I'm likewise wondering about WMAs.  I had a pair in the Lakeview WMA, and they were approved and stood for a year and a half.  When I later went to put one in Dexter Marsh, it was rejected.  Having just learned of the rules, I removed the one in Dexter Marsh and also pulled the two at Lakeview.

However, there are TONS of older caches still on WMAs.  It seems the rule was not applied retro-actively, and not all hiders took voluntary action as I did.  What will happen now?

As said before, thanks for taking the time on this forum.

Years ago, caches were not allowed on any DEC lands.  When reviewing I see a number of caches that were submitted and never listed in state forests because the DEC did not want us listing there (this was prior to my time as a reviewer, so I don't have first hand experience.)   At some point after that, they allowed for geocaches in DEC lands except for WMA.   We did not go back and archive existing caches, as the DEC did not require us to do so. 
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Novac

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Re: Ask the Reviewer
« Reply #5 on: June 25, 2009, 09:50:02 »
I have a question about proximity rules. If I am placing a puzzle/mystery cache, can I place the marker near an existing cache? My physical cache will be a ways away, but I wanted the "marker" to be in a specific location that is relative to the puzzle. Recently, a physical cache was placed very close to this spot. Am I still able to put my "false" coords nearby?
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LCSM

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Re: Ask the Reviewer
« Reply #6 on: July 24, 2011, 06:59:05 »
It looks like we have two new reviewers now. . . New York Admin started a couple of months ago and now, Lord Stirling.
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kodiakwoodsman

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Re: Ask the Reviewer
« Reply #7 on: July 24, 2011, 16:46:01 »
I think New York Admin has been around for a while just more towards the albany area cause i've seen it before and i believe "Lord Stirling" could be one of their "roaming reviewers". I read on the GeoRoc page that sapience and NYAdmin are getting slammed with new caches so they have to enlist some help. This volume also makes it easier for newbies to get questionable caches published, and some veteren cachers too i'm sure, because they meet the guidelines so they get published but they arent the quality they would normally aim for.
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LCSM

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Re: Ask the Reviewer
« Reply #8 on: July 24, 2011, 20:36:39 »
NY Admin has been around for a long time, from Albany to the middle of my range, so anything Manlius and east was always NY Admin, and from Syracuse west was Sapience Trek.  NY Admin seems to have disappeared, or maybe has split the territory with New York Admin.  They are different reviewers.  If they are getting slammed, they may have added reviewers, or have roving reviewers as you mentioned.
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Novac

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Re: Ask the Reviewer
« Reply #9 on: July 25, 2011, 07:20:25 »
Don't forget that reviewers do not check for "quality" ... only that caches abide by the website's guidelines.
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kodiakwoodsman

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Re: Ask the Reviewer
« Reply #10 on: July 25, 2011, 08:11:18 »
While they may not check for quality there are things that are generally "expected" that are not actually required by the guidelines. Things like cache descriptions, i've heard a few reports of caches published without a word about them. Smart phones are probably to "blame"/ the "reason"... people don't want to type on them or because they are using a smart phone instead of a computer to create a cache and the phone might not support all of the text boxes and other parts of the forms that a computer handles well...but i could be wrong...and I guess I didn't realize that NY Admin and New York Admin were different... or maybe they aren't maybe all the reveiwers are actually large humanoid frogs with antenne on their heads...just saying...
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kodiakwoodsman

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Re: Ask the Reviewer
« Reply #11 on: July 25, 2011, 08:12:47 »
but regardless of who, or what, our reviewers are I appreciate their service greatly because without them we wouldnt be able to play...
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LCSM

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Re: Ask the Reviewer
« Reply #12 on: July 25, 2011, 08:43:47 »
Yup-definitely appreciate their efforts. . . and NY is definitely different from New York. . .pretty sure the new one is a female. . . she types a lot more!
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Novac

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Re: Ask the Reviewer
« Reply #13 on: July 25, 2011, 12:30:27 »
Or maybe the new one types more because it's fresh and easy to type plenty of wordage. After months or years of it, I'm sure it gets tiresome and brevity is the best solution.
As for empty cache descriptions, I don't see such a requirement in the guidelines. My descriptions are usually far more complicated than is necessary so I haven't run into that before.
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kodiakwoodsman

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Re: Ask the Reviewer
« Reply #14 on: July 25, 2011, 18:58:35 »
Its not a requirement but I know that I usually like to see at least a little bit about the cache. The more the better in my oppinion...
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